How Do I Find the Right Contractor for Water Damage Restoration?

Before choosing to hire a contractor for your water damage restoration, make sure they have a license. A contractor’s license is usually around 6 digits and one way of confirming their license is through the Contractor’s State License Board. You should find a section for an instant license check on the right hand side of the CSLB site. Enter the contractor’s license number you were given to check if it is valid, current and active.

After confirming the water damage restoration company has a valid contractors’ license, check their coverage. Checking if the water damage restoration company is insured with plenty of coverage is also important. In case of an accident at the site, check to see if that contractor has workers’ compensation and general liability.

Another positive sign, good communication. Make sure they give you enough information and do not leave you hanging with a lot of questions. The more communication, the better.

Furthermore, a contractor with plenty of years in business is also a good sign. With over 30 years of business, Flood Busters attributes their success through reputable, honest work. Some contractors may claim that they have a certain number of years of experience. One way of verifying how long the water damage restoration company has been in business is on the CSLB site. Once you enter their contractor’s license number from the home page, details pertaining to that license are found below. Under the section Business Information, you will find an issue date for the license.

Watch out for contractors who will ONLY work for cash. Credibility and documentation is important!

Is This Water Damage Covered by Insurance?

If you are leaning towards filing an insurance claim, it is possible that your insurance might cover your all or most of the water damage loss expenses. Your loss may have full coverage, minus your deductible. This will depend on your coverage and the source of the water damage. Give our team a call at (619)562-3800 and provide detailed information about your situation.

How Much Will I Have to Pay for Water Damage Restoration?

There are a lot of variables that can affect the cost of water damage restoration. You may choose to go through insurance with the possibility of having your claim covered. If you choose this route, you may only have to pay your deductible. The amount of your deductible depends on the coverage you selected from your insurance company. Do you need help looking through your insurance policy for water damage or have water damage insurance questions? Give our team at Flood Busters a call at (619)562-3800 .

All in all, should you choose upgrades for your restoration, additional out-of-pocket costs will most likely incur. Those out-of-pocket costs will depend on the amount and type of material and labor that is involved with the restoration project.

In most cases, the water damage restoration company provides your insurance company with a water damage estimate. This estimate should cover their portion of the work performed.

How Long Does the Water Damage Restoration Process Take?

Similar to costs, there are a lot of factors that can affect the length of water damage recovery. Some of these factors include, but not limited to:

The size of the project.

The more areas or the larger the area affected, the longer it would take to complete the project.

The complexity of the project.

In addition to the size, the complexity of a project can extend the restoration. For example, you could have a slab leak that only caused water damage in your living room. However, the slab leak could have occurred under the concrete or foundation of your home. A specialty contractor may need to come out in order to properly fix and repair some of the damage.

The types of material needed to restore the water damage.

Furthermore, water damage restoration companies may have certain materials in stock. However, there are specialty items or materials that may need to be special ordered and take longer to arrive. There are also certain types of material that require testing.

The affected areas testing positive for mold, asbestos or lead.

Depending on the year of your home, a contractor will need to have different materials tested of the affected or connecting areas to see if they test positive for mold, asbestos or lead. Most contractors, if knowledgeable and experienced in this area, will be able to complete a mold remediation. In some cases, they may need to call a contractor who specializes in mold remediation. The same goes for lead removal.

Asbestos can be present, but not limited to, in drywall, joint compound, sprayed on acoustic ceilings, the mastic under floor tiles or hardwood floors, and/or transite pipes.

Lead can be present, but not limited to, in floor tiles, shower tiles, paint on the drywall or window sills.

All things considered, make sure that a properly licensed contractor takes care of abating asbestos and/or lead if removal is necessary. To learn more about the affects of lead visit the EPA site. To learn more about asbestos and the hazards of asbestos visit OSHA.

Lastly, the category of water may extend the project time. A category 1 water loss involves cleaner water, which might require less demo of the materials the water came in to contact with (given that the material was not completely wet). A category 2 and 3 loss involves water that contains different levels of pathogenic, toxins and/or other harmful agents. Demo and replacement of material that has come in to contact with this type of water is highly likely in order to protect you and your family from being exposed to any of those harmful agents. Given these points, a longer and more extensive demo will most likely delay the length of the restoration.

What Does the Process of Water Damage Restoration Consist of?

If flooding occurs in your house, the water damage cleanup may seem extensive but often necessary to ensure the source is located and fixed and the proper dry out was completed. First, depending on the source of the water damage, you may have called out a plumber to locate and stop the leak/source.

Next is the dry out process. Flood Busters specializes in dry outs. Our team has a same day response time! We understand the importance of your situation and there is NO time to wait. A wet home is an host for mold and other bacteria. We send our water damage experts ASAP to assess the damage. They will discuss the process with you and leave special equipment to begin the dry out process. Our trained water damage experts will assess the moisture readings and determine what needs removal in order to get your home back to, or sometimes better, its previous condition.

In some cases, certain materials will need testing, done by a specialized lab. If the material comes back positive for lead or asbestos, a specialty contractor with the proper licenses will need to be called out in order to remove the affected materials that tested positive.

After the removal of certain materials, the build back process can begin.

Generally speaking, a proper water damage restoration company will inform your adjuster or insurance company of their services. They will send their water damage estimate to your adjuster or insurance company. After approval of the water damage estimate, your adjuster or insurance may issue payment for your contractor’s services.

Have an Emergency?

At Flood Busters, we understand that water damage restoration can be a hard process for homeowners. However, our team provides great communication and service. We strive to assist and guide you so your process may be as smooth as possible. We understand that things do not always go right, but we are always here to help!

If you have flooding or water damage in your home and live in San Diego County call Flood Busters (619)562-3800 today. We cover as far South as: San Ysidro, National City, and Chula Vista. As far North as: San Clemente, Temecula, Carlsbad, Vista, Poway, Valley Center and Fallbrook. We also cover the coastal communities: Imperial Beach, Mission Beach, Coronado, Solana Beach, Mission Beach, Del Mar, and Coronado to El Cajon, San Carlos, Lakeside and Alpine. Think you are outside of the zone or just looking for information? Do not hesitate to give us a call! We are a 24/7 emergency service and are waiting for your call.

In any event, should you have a flood or water damage in your San Diego home remember: